Max played with some of his toys out in the sunroom while his mommy folded laundry. She didn't go to work anymore, not after she started getting bigger and weaker. Melissa felt like some useless house wife but luckily she only had one month left to go before she could work at getting her figure back. That and she could hardly wait to finally meet the hyper active little baby growing in her that never seemed to sleep. Max continued playing with his dinosaurs making them bash into each other growling and clawing one another. "Ah mass extinction." He cried out throwing a pillow over the valley of giant reptiles. "Now the mammals will rule the world…hey where did Benny go?"

Jumping up he ran around jumping on the sofas and picking the pillows up. Running over to the sleeping dog resting in the warm sunlight he pried its jaws open and yelled into his mouth, "Benny?" The dog shook his head getting up and yawing, its eyes falling lazily onto Max's face. "Shaggy, help me find Benny." Shaggy just shook his body mocking what dogs did to get water off them after getting a bath. Happily it followed Max around the house sniffing around and looking under the table of the kitchen and under his bed.

Putting all the folded clothes into the clothing basket Melissa jumped a little before smiling lightly and resting a hand on her stomach, "Hey there, you be nice now. God what are you doing, kickboxing or something? If I wouldn't have known any better I would have assumed you were a boy with how hyper you are."

Max ran into the laundry room with Shaggy slowly bouncing behind him in that slow dopy way he moved around. He seemed like the worlds dumbest dog yet he seemed pretty clever, just unable to escape the empty gaze of an alley bred mutt. "Mommy have you seen Benny, he ran away and I can't find him."

Melissa smiled picking up the white rabbit and handing him to Max. "I just ran him through the wash, he was a little dirty. There you go Maxy."

He smiled taking the rabbit in his hands and hugged him feeling the warmth he had gathered from the dryer. "Benny you smell like my shirt…thank you mommy. See Shaggy I told you mommy would know where he is…mommy knows everything, that's what they do." He ran over setting the stuffed rabbit on the dogs back and patting him, "Mommy Shaggy is going to be a saber tooth tiger…but he is the Smiladon one…not the little one. His teeth are too little…maybe I can make him Smiladon teeth."

Melissa smiled; Max never lost that clever little flare of his even if he had picked up a more childish nature over the months. It most likely had something to do with settling into his new home, either that or he was afraid to be too smart anymore. If he was simply just acting more his age to make people think him cute then he was a good little actor, and he picked up singing very quickly, he had already memorized every song she had sung around him, even the ones in different languages. It was amazing the memory bank he had not to forget he was almost fluent in three different languages just from watching the opera's.

"Well if he is a Smiladon then is Benny the Giant Sloth?"

Max jumped with joy obviously never thinking of that, "Ya…Benny you're a giant sloth…you have big claws and fangs just like the mon…on second thought Benny should just be Benny…and Shaggy…I don't want to give you bigger teeth. I like you the way you are now, not scary like before."

Melissa set her hand over her chest feeling a little sorry for her poor little Max. He was a child who knew monsters were real and that they were after him that night. She had seen it in his eyes so many times, that fear that he was going to die. Ever since that day he had refused to sleep in the dark, he had asked for a nightlight, a flashlight, and a lamp all in his room just in case. With that he took Shaggy by the collar and ran off with him back into the sunroom.

Melissa continued to work on laudrary, she had gotten rather good at it, again another sad reminder of what a house wife she was becoming. As she picked up the basket she felt a sharp pain run down her side. It seemed like nothing at first until she took a step forward and dropped the basket from the intensity of the pain. Falling to the ground she curled up closing her eyes tightly and wrapping her arms around her sides. Max ran back into the room looking down at her as she lay on the floor silently crying. Rushing to her side he cried out. "Mommy…mommy get up…mommy oh no."

Melissa could hear his voice as it seemed so distant even if he was crying right next to her. Looking up at him she gasped trying to ignore the pain for just a second, "Max…go call the hospital can you do that for me?"

He nodded looking at her with wide eyes before running to the phone and frantically dialing the number to the hospital. He had it memorized by now since every time his daddy and mommy left the house they left it with his babysitter. He knew it better then the babysitter did, "Hello…hospital my mommy's sick, I need you to come and get her please…hurry up I thinks she's hurt."

At the hospital Max found himself curled up in his fathers lap as Zander watched the delivery room door with fear in his eyes. Each time Melissa let out a scream Max put his hands over his ears and burst out into tears again. He muttered to his father rather distrot and worried, "Is mommy going to die…is my sister going to die? Daddy can you make mommy feel better, why can't you help her?"

Zander didn't speak; he was too worried to speak. Everything seemed to be falling out of his control. He just rocked Max back and forth listening to the little boy crying as his wife screamed in the room before them. Holding Benny against Zander's chest Max hid his face trying to hide his tears as he shook. "I don't want to lose her…I don't want to…I was good this time I promised to keep her safe. It's not fair."

There was a short moment of silence making Zander gaze at the door, tears running down his face as is heart pound so hard in his chest he could almost taste his own blood. The silence seemed to last forever before a strong cry broke it, the piercing shriek reminding him of Max when he was just a little baby. Zander smiled shaking Max lightly. Moments latter one of the nurses ran out into the waiting room pulling her mask off and smiling down at Zander, "Congratulations Mr. Chase you have a little girl. Everything went smoothly; both Melissa and the baby are just fine. You two can come in now."

Max was set down following his father slowly into the room watching his daddy rush over to Melissa and hug her. She looked tired, her hair was all wet and she looked very pale like she was sick. Melissa seemed a little worried as well as she spoke quietly still horribly exhausted, "Is she…normal?"

"She seems fine to me." Zander replied kissing her on the forehead. Max just stood by the door still afraid to get any closer. The small cries stopped as the nurse handed a white bundle to his mommy, Melissa smiled down at it holding the fragile little creature in her arms. Zander seemed very happy too looking down at Max's little sister. Max was afraid of her, he didn't know why, he had liked her before but now he didn't know what to think. He felt a little ignored as his mommy and daddy snuggled the new baby, Max let his eyes fall to Benny hugging the rabbit tightly. "She's so beautiful Melissa; she has your face and my eyes, what a pretty little angel."

Max looked up missing his real mommy again, he remembered her saying those sort of things to him, calling him her little angel. Tears came to his eyes again, now the new baby was taking away his new mommy and his daddy. He snuggled Benny again as Zander looked over to Max and smiled, "it's okay sport, no need to be afraid. Come over here and met your new sister." Max was not sure he wanted to meet her but still he felt himself moving slowly over to the bed. If she made his mommy sick then she could not be all that nice.

Reaching the bedside he looked over at Melissa first with sad eyes. "Hey Maxy, this is your sister Danica." She smiled at him in that way that made him want to curl up in her lap and fall asleep. Then he looked down at the little baby all pale and tiny with big stormy blue eyes that remained fixed on him. She made funny cooing sounds like a baby bird only different, her pretty eyes looking into his as he watched her. Then she did something Max had not expected, she shifted her head just a little and opened her mouth in a sad attempt to smile as her eyes light up. She almost seemed more excited to see him then she had to see her own parents.

Zander patted Max on the back, "Ha, I think she knows you're her big brother. It's your job to keep an eye on her Max, you'll be her best friend and her guardian for all her life." Max didn't think about that, he didn't think that it was his responsibility to keep her safe but it was his job and it was his job to teach her everything he knew. It was his job to keep the monsters away from her so they would not kill her because she was like him, she was all he had in this world, the only other who he would understand and who would understand him. They were very much the same, brother and sister with a bond that had been strong even before either of their lives had begun.

Smiling back at her he touched a finger to her forehead lightly and replied, "Hello Danny…I'm your brother Max. It's nice to finally meet you." The baby watched him closely, it seemed like she was listening to his voice closely reading his face and his smile.

He jumped back when a small calm voice entered his mind, a beautiful voice soft and clear like a silver bell, 'Max.'

Another smile crossed his face as he looked back at her almost instinctively knowing what to do next. Concentrating on her eyes he thought but not to himself. He thought with that part of his mind that was open to any who could see it, 'Danica.' Lifting up Benny Max set it on the bed and spoke softly watching his sister, "Here Danica, Benny is yours now. You'll need him more then me; he'll watch over you and keep you safe. As long as you have Benny then you'll always know that I am there with you no matter what Danny, don't forget okay."

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